Stevia is an important and valuable field crop for the production of sweeteners, sugar substitutes, and other consumable ingredients. Thus, a continuing goal of stevia plant breeders is to develop stable, high yielding stevia cultivars of stevia species that are agronomically sound. The reasons for this goal are to maximize the amount and quality of the sweeteners, sugar substitutes, and other consumable ingredients. To accomplish this goal, the stevia breeder must select and develop plants that have the traits that result in superior cultivars.
The development of new stevia cultivars requires the evaluation and selection of parents and the crossing of these parents. The lack of predictable success of a given cross requires that a breeder, in any given year, make several crosses with the same or different breeding objectives.
The foregoing examples of the related art and limitations related therewith are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive. Other limitations of the related art will become apparent to those of skill in the art upon a reading of the specification